We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kimberly Spohn. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kimberly below.

Kimberly, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I’d always wanted to write a comedy film about a woman who wears a strap-on for a day to find out where men get the audacity. During the pandemic, I went to graduate school for screenwriting. I thought if life was going to be put on pause, I might as well become a better writer. There, I wrote DAY WITH A DICK. I directed and starred in it, as well. But as I worked on it, my confidence waned and I doubted myself more and more. I thought everyone else knew more about film than me. Some things I fought for and found out I was wrong. Some things I didn’t fight for and found out I was right. In the middle of the shoot, I went to the bathroom and cried because I thought I was making a bad movie. This film meant so much to me. It was my love letter to womanhood. The film won Best Writing and the Jury’s Choice Award at my school’s film festival, Premiere. I can’t promise I’ll never doubt myself again but I have learned important lessons: tell the story you really want to tell and do it bravely.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My story doesn’t start in a unique place but it certainly ends in one. I’ve been a writer since I was old enough to spell. I would handwrite novels in notebooks. I’ve also always loved comedians: George Carlin, Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, and the Steves: Carell, Colbert, and Martin. I trained as an actress in Meisner and Chekhov in NYC. Then, I went on to get my MFA in screenwriting at DePaul University. I’ve directed three short films and don’t plan on stopping now. My latest film, Day with a Dick, is about a 30-year-old woman, sick of doubting herself, who wears a strap-on for a day to find out where men get the audacity. The pressure on women to be society’s definition of perfect can be paralyzing. My protagonist’s journey to finding herself is messy, fun, imperfect, funny, ugly, and full of mistakes. I hope this allows women to realize the path back to themselves is more accessible than they realize. Or you could look at the film as a 12-minute dick joke. I love writing silly films about serious topics. I write what I enjoy watching: funny women-led comedies with a lot of heart. I just want to make films that scare me and make me known as “hey are you the girl writing the dick movie?”.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

You don’t have to feel ready to go after what you want. You’ll never feel ready. If your dreams are big enough, you’ll never feel good enough, talented enough, prepared enough, or wise enough for what’s ahead. I was stuck in inaction for so many years because I felt like I wasn’t ready. But you don’t have to be. You just have to do it. Prove to yourself you are capable of more than you ever thought possible. Stop overthinking, just sit down at your computer or leave your house or email that person, or do whatever you need to do to have the life you want. The longer you wait to be ready, the more you delay getting what’s rightfully yours.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is for a woman to see my work and begin to accept a part of herself she deemed “ugly”. Hollywood is more focused on “aspirational” than telling authentic stories about the messy, ugly, silly, and weird experiences we actually have as humans. It wasn’t until I MAY DESTROY YOU that I saw a woman casually put on a pad while using the toilet or a woman have sex on her period. I want to see women in all shapes, sizes, walks of life with authentic stories that would turn your ears pink or make you uncomfortable. That’s where the best stories come from.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kimberlyspohn.com
• Instagram: @kimberlyrosecomedy
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyspohn2424/
• Twitter: @kimrosecomedy